


Choices

by triformis



Series: The choice is yours [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Drabble Collection, F/M, New view on the Old Gods, Old Gods (Dragon Age), Powerful Hawke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-08-03 23:36:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16335431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triformis/pseuds/triformis
Summary: Life requires choices, human, elf, dwarf all, would make theirs. When power is immeasurable and death impossible how can happiness become just another choice.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a collection of interrelated drabbles as I cannot seem to finish very long stories. This idea will not leave me though so I have to get it out.  
> Normal disclaimer applies. I do not own DA or make profit from this story.

It was her choice, to live life in human form, to seal away her nature and power. Although life amongst her brethren was hard and challenging she controlled everything, right down to physical appearance, her features varying depending on the people she met and more often than not the memory of her tended to blur and fade from everyone’s minds.   
The choice to become forgotten, the shackles of power broken and spirit liberated, and living amongst gods but refusing to belong, thus it came as no surprise when she saw the end. 

It was bright start of the day when she met them, a small family lost amongst death. A female holding two young children, desperate to shield them from the chains prepared for their necks, an everyday occurrence in the region and were it any of her kin they would have walked away, she might have done so too until a pair of tearful green eyes pinned her feet to the spot.

Those eyes called for help, for freedom, for her, and in an instant all her enchantments broke. She appeared before the humans, a bright creature in the middle of a slaver group and turned to face the danger, shielding them, protecting their freedom. Dark magic and deadly sharp weapons were re-directed towards her and she had to erect a protective barrier to keep the innocents safe. She backed them away towards the pier where a lonely boat was lazily floating. The mother understood her intent and made haste to reach the relative safety of the floating object.   
The little girl was being sat down inside the boat when the blade pierced through the barrier and sunk deep in her back, the human body she wore gravely injured, but she ignored the pain and drew out more magic from her astral form to throw back the attackers, all the while keeping an attentive eye on the small family. 

The green eyes had stopped shedding tears and the little creature they belonged to stretched arms towards her. She tried to back away, alarm bells ringing in her head, but the small arms belonged to a determined mind and a little body moved away from his mother and closer to their rescuer and when tiny hands grabbed onto her hand she was brought down to her knees. All strength having fled her body she sat kneeling in the water, blood colouring the liquid around her as small arms circled her neck and held tightly.   
Her heart gave a strong jerk inside her chest and sped up as a small head dropped on her shoulder, pointy ear lodged in her neck.   
Her instincts took over when rationality fled and she wrapped an arm around the sleeping elf cub holding onto her and rose to her feet. Eyes ablaze she inhaled the sweet scent of the creature in her arms and the violence with which hear heart beat made air catch in her lungs. Both arms held onto the precious body and she poured all the emotion in her heart, the longing, pain and happiness into the gently hug. It would have been too easy to leave whilst holding the other half of her soul but that was pure selfishness and they deserved to make their own lives. 

So with God-like determination she deposited the sleeping child in his mother’s arms and guided the boat into deep waters. As the sight of them dimmed she collapsed the barrier and let her true nature take over in full.   
Talons pierced through flesh and bone crushing the charging warriors as a side sweep with her tail took care of the rogues preparing to attack from her right flank. The only remaining humans were the blood mages, desperately working their way to depleting her life force.   
She had always loathed the magic that leeched power and life from another creature, the ease with which they used such forbidden magic always bringing rage into her eyes, which made burning them to a crisp all the more rewarding. 

The pier was finally clear of slavers when the end closed in. She had drawn too much power into a mortal form and it gave way. As her weakness perished, her spirit searched for a glimpse of the lonely boat and she could feel the distress of those green eyes but couldn’t fight the pull of life.   
Another form was calling for her and she was ripped away, a world away, and into a true human form, one born free of expectations but not responsibility.


	2. Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stepping into the hall, she could feel his eyes zero-in on her, piercing and knowledgeable. There had been many years since he had a chance to corner her and force a ‘talk’ and now that she returned he’d have it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.N: Usual disclaimers apply. I do not own Dragon Age or make any profit from this work.   
> Any constructive criticism welcome. /tri

Stepping into the hall, she could feel his eyes zero-in on her, piercing and knowledgeable. There had been many years since he had a chance to corner her and force a ‘talk’ and now that she returned he’d have it.

Flemeth was the first to greet her and she returned her smile as she made her way towards the throne hall.

The moment her feet touched the enchanted floor, the architecture and lighting of the room began to change, from the dark walls in grey and red hues to a much more luminous setting. Large windows appeared on the once closed-off exterior walls and two massive chandeliers sprung from the bolted ceiling, replacing the wall artificial lighting, and bloomed with gentile warm lights, the red dissolved into light blue accents as the grey shifted to cream. Even the mood around the room seemed to have lifted as muted amusement shone in several timeless eye-sights.

“I understand Daylen is no longer plagued by the beast” she deadpanned at the blank look in her sibling’s eyes before an amused spark flashed in azure orbs. “Well, not the one from within, at least” she followed again, and the male had a hard time keeping a straight face.

A pair of shrewd golden eyes narrowed in annoyance, raven feathers almost trembling in resentment. “Power is always frightening for those not ready to own it” came the words uttered in a clipped voice “but although frightening for some, the old ways must be preserved” the apostate witch retorted.

Hearing the retort made it extremely difficult to hold a neutral attitude, as laughter bubbled in her chest and nearly spilled passed full lips, while cold blue eyes regarded the mortal. She was almost entertaining, in the same way a new-born fowl was when learning to stand on its unused legs and the glib observations only succeeding in pointing out the ridicule of the situation.

A fledgling preaching to the battle-worn.

Amusement was nowhere in sight for the youngest sibling though as the mood around him began to change, his eyes slowly turning white, and an overbearing pressure sweeping the room while the air thinned.

Not keen to have animosity brew into outright violence she moved swiftly, and within a moment, was holding his arm gently and smiling up to his closed off expression as she led him out.

“Come Solas, we have some catching up to do” she compelled and was pleased to see his eyes returning to their natural colour while he reigned in his emotions.

“Indeed we do” he admitted, warmth radiating from his body while he basked in the attention from his beloved sister.

They stepped, arm in arm, into the library, their personal sanctuary, and the massive door sealed itself behind them as per usual. The large room, welcoming as it shifted and morphed according to their preferences, wall sized shelves filled to the brim with thick tomes, framing their preferred reading place by the bay window, which was too inviting to pass up, so they sat down facing one another with the light warming their faces.

He seemed almost bursting with questions and she smiled before opening the floodgates.

“Alright, go for it” was all the incentive he needed so he let out the barrage of questions.

“Name?”

“Hawke”

“Human…”

“Really?” A frown and glare flittered in his eyes and she chuckled at his irritation. “Obviously.”

“Why…”

“We cannot die Solas.” She replied mulishly and was again rewarded with his irritated glare.

“…was I reborn?” she voiced the silent question and his eyes flashed white again. She noted his distress, rolling off him in thick waves and an almost feral look crossed his countenance as scenarios _likely_  built inside his mind, piercing eyes searching her physiognomy for answers. Acknowledging his darkened mood she made an effort to approach the subject in earnest and levelled him with a serious look.

“I found him Solas,” she began with a sigh. “Or he found me, called out to me and at that moment I was unable to resist. I went to him and fought hard to not just steal him away. He was so young, so pure and beautiful in innocence and so deserving of freedom, of life.”

The elf studied the human face with attention, the faraway look in deep blue eyes was unfamiliar, he could read pain and longing for the split second she allowed before it shifted and changed into a distant, almost condescending glint.

The colour of her hair hadn’t changed though and he felt an odd sort of comfort in the similarity to her former self.

“His family was being hunted, herded like cattle and I… kept them protected as much as I could.”

“Did you...?”

She smiled coldly at that “there is no mortal alive who has seen my true form” and with a deep sigh she looked at the setting sun, the pain in her chest almost unbearable.

The ancient elf looked like he still had questions to ask but it had already been incredibly difficult to not turn around and leave, to disappear as she had in a previous life but she had no intention to continue with the interrogation. She sent him an apologetic smile and rose up to leave.

“How long will you be gone this time?” he questioned lastly, raising to accompany her out of the library.

“Not long, I should be back for the wedding.”

The family was already gathered in the hall when they reached it and she waved her ‘good-byes’ before stepping out of the Sky Palace.

She drew in a deep breath as her spirit shook off the chains of command. Her body was enveloped by a white blinding light at she let her true nature take over.

The creature soared higher and higher into the aether and disappeared in a moment’s breath.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies, updates will be sporadic.


End file.
